Tuning Spent a few hours re-bluing my old brocock grand prix (a bit challenging)

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

The gun isn't that old. Not as old as it looks or feels. Quality components, and robust design, this pistol is a performer. Every bolt and screw posesses more craftmanship and quality than many entire guns I've had my hands on.

But there are some caveats. The barrel, while never having to worry about drifting zero.... is in fact, pressed into the receiver. I dare not try to remove it for fear of damage to it or the receiver. The air tube end cap has no provisions for sensible removal. Almost no surface area to grip, and entirely smooth. I could see possibly a vice and some leather doing the trick, but again, I fear of damage. But I know some day it will have to come apart.

This gun came to me rusty and pitted externally. Not a lot, but it needed something done. I originally tried to touch it up, and it came out badly. The tube was splotchy, and lightly colored. The barrel had streaks and again was also lightly colored. Worse, it kept rusting. I tried to use heat to get the metal to take the compound better, but it just really didn't go well.

This time around, I set to carefully masking off the receiver (with barrel attached), and the aluminum airtube end cap as well. I spent at least a few hours sanding with 600 grit getting a uniform finish. Acetone, and then 4 coats of oxpho blue were applied, wiping and burnishing between coats. No heat this time. Followed by cleansing in water and soaking overnight in oil. It turned out pretty well I think.

Before:

After:

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Long_Gun_Dallas That looks like a quality restoration job. Good looking pistol. Did you remove the wood? I like the carbine-type stock you replaced the original with. Did you use the same treatment this go round when you attempted to use heat before?

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

@Ezana4CE Thanks

I did remove the grip, and had it in storage. Some lowlife broke in and got it among some other stocks. Must have been on drugs is all I can think

I did order an updated walnut grip the other day, though.

I fortunately had the pistol trigger in my parts drawer, as you notice the blade on it is 3D printed, as well as the guard. You can see how the pistol trigger went into the carbine stock below, haha. Not well.

As for the finish, it was the same. I think the key differences were in that I did extremely thorough prep work, sanding getting everything even, and uniform finish of the sanding patterns, too. That and I think the heat combined with compound.... had a reaction of cooling, so the metal did not respond the same because it was cooling unevenly as it contacted compound. 

Instructions are to use a cotton swab to apply. This time, I found a small plastic container, and dumped the bottle of compound into it. It's kind of thick, kind of runny. I used a medium sized paint brush to apply this time, and it let me get more on at a time, and way quicker, and uniformly... which are all good things I believe. If it was being dunked in a bucket of solution, I could see heat maybe being reasonable....

 

[Vetmx]

You keep making my future gun nicer and nicer for me. I appreciate it.

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

@Vetmx I havn't forgotten, HAHA

 

[Vetmx]

And your dog made me suddenly want to go to bed. Dang dogs always look so content and comfortable.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@vetmx 

@Long_Gun_Dallas Had you already done some sanding on the barrel in the first pic? I like the idea of using a paint brush as opposed to cotton swabs. Q-tips sound like a strange suggestion. That’s got to be in reference to touching up small spots where the blueing started wearing thin. Sounds as if your prep work made a big difference and you changed your applicator. What you said about the heat and cooling process sounds logical. I like the final product. I definitely see why you went with the 3-D printed trigger blade and the trigger guard is a nice touch. I thought it was metal. How does that printed blade feel? I really like that carbine stock. 

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

And your dog made me suddenly want to go to bed. Dang dogs always look so content and comfortable.

He has that affect.



@Ezana4CE. The first photo was after the original touch up that went badly. I didn't blue the entire barrel because of it not being able to be removed from the receiver, so some has original bluing. Also, you might be right about the cotton swab being intended for touch up.

I've done bluing like this a few times, and this is by far the best it came out, so I must have done something right, haha.

I tried sourcing original parts from Brocock for the carbine trigger, but they either did not have them or could not find them. The printed blade feels very good. It matches the contour of my finger, and is very wide and flat on the face. When 3d printing, you can essentially make something however you like

 

[Brent]

Very nice job.

 

[toothmaker1969]

Looks great, I need to do my Sheridan blue streak after seeing this.